As Sure as Night Follows Day
by hesitate
Summary: COMPLETE! Matt's lost the most important person in his life, but when the opportunity presents itself to bring her back, will the price be too much? MIMATO.
1. Default Chapter

**As Sure as Night Follows Day (Permanent Midnight)** by wallflower, formerly mimikins 

A/N: This is the FIRST story I've posted without breaking it up into 3 million chapters! Well, I am, but I'm posting each chapter 4 days apart so I can't stop in the middle. I hope you guys like it, if you do, please leave a review or email (jump4@joymail.com) me! If you don't like it, well do the same. This is a MIMATO, YAMI, MIMI X MATT, so if that ruins the story for you and you plan to flame, just close this window or hit the back key. It saves us both some trouble ^^ There is no Kari in this story, and everybody lives in different cities, pretty far apart. This chapter is kind of drawn out, I'm sorry, but be sure the rest of the story is more..interesting, is that the word I'm looking for? Maybe ^^; 

OH MAN! DID ANYONE SEE POPULAR ON 2/23?!?!? SAM TURNED HARRISON DOWN! *sobs* noo...STUPID GEORGE! LKSDJF HIM! actually I really did start crying that episode, but it was because of Nicole. 

This is dedicated to RisingPhoenix, who was yelling at me for not dedicating a story to her. Just kidding! She's my IRL fwend. Also Maggie and Kate, even though I don't talk to you guys incessently, you're still two awesome people and great friends ^^ 

The song of the fic is "The Last Unicorn". I really love it! Anyone with napster, I command you to download "Digimon in a nutshell" by "Ego and Company"! It disses digimon, but its hilarious! I'm think about changing my s/n to pieceofcrapmon, haha... 

Although tabloids may inform you otherwise, I don't own digimon. I'm contactable at jump4@joymail.com, joy_fishy@hotmail.com (MSN), 71018292 (ICQ), and sunshinebaba (AIM) ^^ 

-------- 

_ There was a time when I would say I must be crazy   
That I would say this place is looking strange   
But now its "I'm kinda lost" and "I just don't remember"   
Because things never stay the same...yeah, well I could talk, talk...   
-Less Than Jake, "Never Going Back to New Jersey" _

I sat on the edge of the bridge, swinging my legs so my toes and heels alternately grazed the top of the water, momentarily disrupting the smooth flow. This place hadn't changed at all since the last time I was here. At least, not so you could tell. The water was different, it wasn't the same clear water that had enchanted me so long ago. Now it was cruel; taunting me with its purity, its light, its perfection. Laughing at me. 

- 

Mimi Tachikawa was always the happy one, the ditzy one. When we first met, I wondered why she had gotten the crest of Sincerity. I had never met anyone who cared so much about her appearance, or whined so much. She should've had the crest of beauty or something, she was so obsessed with it. But after spending a lot of time with her (not like I had a choice) it became obvious that she wasn't totally superficial. Her not-caring-what- happens-as-long-as-she-gets-home facade was shattered when she saw our digimon friends willingly sacrifice themselves for us, 7 children who didn't even belong to their world, and were supposed to save it. I don't think any of us thought we were going to make it, except maybe TK. Sometimes I would hear him ask Mimi, who he deemed "his new best friend", if we were ever going to go back home. She always scooped him up into a hug, and cheerfully replied that everything would be all right, we would. TK would always be comforted, but I could see her eyes. She was trying to tell herself the same thing. We all were. 

After we came home, it didn't take us long to settle back into our old lifestyles. I felt TK drifting from me, depending more and more on my mom. When he had a nightmare, he didn't scream for Matt halfway across the city. He cried for Mommy in the next room. He didn't need me anymore. 

The slight openess I had accquired through Gabumon quickly vanished after a week with my dad. Gabumon had perservered with me, and sincerely tried to get me to relax. He wanted me to be happy, because being with me made him happy. I don't think my dad was even happy to see me when I came back. 

That's when I discovered the bridge. I later found out it was called _sotsuu hashi_, or "the bridge of quiet understanding". But to me, it was my bridge. Hidden in the middle of a forest, it arched slightly above a babbling brook. I would sit there for hours, just staring at the stream of water go on and on. It looked like it was going nowhere, but it was actually making its way to the ocean, and someday it would get there. 

I couldn't understand why life hated me so much, and I didn't try to. There was probably a really good reason why my parents divorced, my mom loved TK more than me, and my dad hated me. I just didn't know what it was. So sitting on the edge of the bridge, in the middle of that forest, pouring out my heart and soul into my harmonica was the only refuge I had. When people were around me, I would erect my wall of coolness, aloofness, that nobody could penetrate, even if they wanted to. So I was left alone, in more ways than one. 

One day, a few years after we came back, I entered the clearing where my bridge was, and somebody else was there. A girl, with chesnut hair, wearing a pink tank top and khaki shorts. She was crying, and her tears splattered into the sunshine filled water, and were carried away. I was frozen. Who could it be? I had been coming here a couple times a week for years, and I had never seen another person. I slowly walked towards the girl. Her head snapped up. 

"Oh! I'm...sorry. I didn't know anyone else was here." she jumped up and slowly started to walk off the other edge of the bridge. Looking at her back I felt kind of guilty, so I snatched her hand and spun her around. 

"You can stay if you want to. It's public property." 

Then I saw her face. She was really pretty. I mean, REALLY pretty. But she was squinting at me like she was trying to see something hidden right underneath my skin. She stopped and cocked her head slightly, but I didn't think it was because of what I said. 

"Yamato...Yamato Ishida?" she ventured. 

I froze. That voice was so familiar. But why? 

She seemed to shrink a little, and the tears looked like they were going to come back. "Sorry, you just look like someone I used to know." 

This was creeping me out. "No, I'm Matt. Who are you?" 

Her eyes widened, and then she smiled a little even though her eyes remained sad. "You've forgotten already?" she sadly joked, as she pulled out a pendant. A gold pendant. A gold pendant with a green stone inside. A gold pendant with a green stone inside that was ingraved with a teardrop with circles inside. A gold pendant with a green stone inside that was ingraved with a teardrop with circles inside that was the crest of Sincerity. 

"...Mimi?" 

"Yeah." This was a very un-Mimi like thing. A more Mimi type thing would be to run at me and hug me until I couldn't breathe anymore. But she just stood there, and so did I. I guess she'd changed. Funny, I had always thought of her as the impulsive 11 year old I used to know. Finally, she sat back down on the bridge, and gestured me to do the same. My toes barely touched the top of the water, and her feet were a good 4 inches away. 

After a few minutes, I tried to strike up a conversation. "So, I haven't seen you in a while, well that's kind of an understatement *weak smile*...how are you? Why are you here in Kyoto? I thought you lived in Tokyo..." (A/N: I went to both places when I visited Japan, both are pretty cool, but I like Kyoto better ^^) 

She lowered her head down again, and I could see a single droplet fall from her eye, making a miniscule splash in the water gurgling underneath us. 

"Miserable..." she whispered, answering only my first question before bursting into tears. 

I had seen her cry to get what she wanted in the Digiworld, we all knew what those big brown amber eyes and a quivering lip could do. God knows Tai gave into it enough times. But this was different, instead of making me want to smile, she made me want to cry again. Suddenly once again I was 12, falling into a pit. The covering I erected over the hole in my heart had fallen in. 

I would've offered her a hankerchief, but I didn't have one. I would've offered words of comfort, but I didn't have any. So I just awkwardly patted her hand as her trickle of tears formed a tributary to the stream underneath us. 

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, she stopped. She didn't lift her head though, she let it hang like she didn't have the strength to hold it up anymore. 

"Do you want to talk?" I tentatively extended my offer, not wanting her to cry again but also not being able to take the deafening silence any longer. 

She tilted her head towards me, and surprised me by nodding. Whenever somebody asked me if I wanted to talk, I never would've actually done it. Maybe the old Mimi was closer than I thought. 

Mimi began to speak in a halting voice. 

"When I, we, came back from the Digiworld, I was so happy. The world was saved, I was finally going to be home with my parents, and I didn't have to fight anymore. The reason I whined so much wasn't so much that I was really a brat, it was more I wanted to prevent the inevitable, the fighting, the losing of a friend that always came with victory. 

Anyway. When we came home, I tried to settle back into my old lifestyle, but I couldn't. Having responsibility placed on me, and me only, changed me. I fell out of place, and I couldn't stand my friends anymore; everything they talked about seemed totally insignificant. I threw myself into studies and even though my parents were surprised and happy, I knew they worried about me. 

Finally, just this year, when I thought I was finally assimilating into my old life, the sky came crashing down on my head. My parents were coming home from a business meeting, and the bullet train went off the track. Everybody on it died. 

It wasn't a freak accident, though. The train operator manual overode the system and did it himself. I could understand if as a person he wasn't happy with himself, but why did it he have to take others with him? All those lives, those hopes, dashed in a few seconds because of him. He took my parents and other innocent people down with him. Who gave him the right? 

So I was sent here to live with my grandma. I love her, but she's not my parents, and I can't stand this anymore. Every time everything seems okay, life does a 180 on me." 

Okay, timeout for Matt. Did I just hear right? Am I dreaming? Did Mimi Tachikawa just say that her parents died? 

"At least your parents loved you." 

I don't know why I said it, or what exactly it meant. You know how sometimes, when you write you forget you're writing, and when you look down there are words that you never would've written, thoughts that were kind of hiding? Well, that was what happened, except it was my mouth running away without my concious mind. 

"What" this was spoken more as a question than the beginning of a setence. "do you mean?" Mimi finished. I could see the question marks written all over her teary eyes. 

My unconciousness exploded without my permission. 

"You lost your parents, but I never had mine. My Dad hates me, I'm not even part of his life. My mom's taken TK away from me, and given me nothing in return. You know what you had because you lost it, but I've never experienced any love from my parents." 

- 

Thinking back to it, it was amazing that she didn't slap me right there. That's part of what I loved so much about Mimi; she cared about everyone so much. 

I don't remember how she did it, but I found myself pouring everything in me out to her. My hatred, my sadness, the smallest moments that I hadn't remembered til now. The little things, the sticks that broke the camel's back. TK saying that he wished Tai was his brother. My dad skipping Parent's Night to work. Leaving Gabumon. The divorce. And Mimi listened. 

When I had finished, it was nightfall. Since it was the summer, the sun still hadn't set, but had begun it's path towards the horizon. The disapparing point, the vortex, where everything vanished. 

She scribbled her number down on the palm of my hand in pink gel pen after I walked her to her grandmother's apartment. A few days later, I took her to the movies. One thing led to another, and before you knew it, we were in love. It was at this same bridge that we finally admitted it half a year later. Because we both knew what could happen when you gave part of your heart away. But we were willing to take the risk. 

I don't regret taking the chance. Not that my heart gave me a choice, but still. Every minute being with her was a piece of heaven, and every hug and kiss we shared shot me higher than cloud 9. 

But Robert Frost was right. Nothing gold can stay. Since Mimi's parents had died, she had this humungous capacity for compassion, especially children. So she volunteered at the Tokyo General Hospital, in the pediatrics section. I usually didn't go with her because all the kid's sick made me miss TK and down for a bit. But we were both there the day the psycho barged in with a gun, and she was shot protecting the children. The day the angel returned to heaven. The day Mimi Tachikawa left me. 

I used to love this bridge, because it was where Mimi and I first met (at least, in a way that really counted) and where we would visit occasionally, but now it reminds me of what I really did lose. But I keep coming back, because I'm willing to take the pain of today if I can live in the joy of yesterday. 

I slowly got up from his seat on the bridge, blinking a little as my head spun. I slowly plodded home through the dark streets; it was almost midnight. Perking up my ears and not hearing his father's snoring, I knew that Dad has slept over at work once again. I flipped on a lightswitch and flopped onto the sofa with my dog-eared copy of Flowers for Algernon. Although I would never admit it, that book makes me cry. Charly's desperation, and then sad realization hits me in a way I thought I never could be touched because of anybody until, well, I met Mimi. 

After reading a few chapters, I hit the lightswitch and fell asleep, tossing and turning on the sofa too short for my build. 

_I was standing in a place that was all white. I could see in any direction infinitely, or maybe it was only a foot. There was no way to tell the difference. I spun around and around, looking for a way out, but came up with more white. Or maybe it was the same. _

"Matt..." 

I turned for the ten million time. 

No. It couldn't be. 

But it was. 

Now, that was the most obvious cliffhanger I've ever seen. REVIEW! 


	2. An Errant Shooting Star

**As Sure as Night Follows Day : An Errant Shooting Star** by wallflower, formerly mimikins 

A/N: Hmm..lookit, it's chapter 2! I would like to thank EVERYONE who reviewed, since I was home sick the 28th, the 10+ reviews in one night really brightened my day! I hope you guys aren't disappointed, I know this one isn't nearly as good as the first... Well, I just got the digimon movie, saw it for the first time. And I have to say it is one of the stupidest, yet funniest, things I have ever seen! I was rolling all over the floor, and my dad poked his head in, and he's like "I guess that was worth 10 bucks!" But GEEZUS! Oh, and Willis is SO CUTE! AND HE LIVES IN AMERICA! hehe. Well, I have nothing else to say...the song of this chapter is "Sleepwalker" by the Wallflowers. 

Contrary to popular belief, I don't own digimon. (No Leslie, you may not take my disclaimer ^.~) 

-------- 

Now in another world   
I could learn to forget   
But 'til then I'm here   
making room for new regrets   
Now some flowers they never bloom   
And some flowers just bloom dead   
-The Wallflowers "Some Flowers Bloom Dead" 

-------- 

_As soon as I saw the back, I knew it was her. Choking a bit, finally the word pressed it's way out into the open. _

"Mimi." 

I could hear it bouncing off the walls of white, echoing over and over before fading. "Mimi...Mimi...Mimi..." 

She turned around, and I could see her sweet, radiant face streaked with tears. 

I reached out for her hand, but she cringed away. 

A wave of fear washed over me. I reached again, and yet again she recoiled. "Mimi!?" "Mimi!?...Mimi!?...Mimi?!" the echo taunted back at me

"Matt...why didn't you save me?" "save me...save me...save me..." she forlornly cried, and faded into nothingness. 

"NOO!" "NOO!...NOO!...NO!..." I darted through the white, looking looking. Finally a break in the white appeared. I raced through it, still calling her name. But as soon as I entered, the slit I had come in through sealed itself shut. I was stuck in black. 

I woke up with my jaw aching from clenching my teeth, and a film of cold sweat on my forehead. It was only 5 in the morning, but I wasn't about to go back to sleep, for fear of slipping into that again. I couldn't have saved her, the shots rang out within a second of the intruder barging in. I couldn't have. But why was I having a dream NOW? 

Rolling off the sofa I groaned as my cramped neck straightened itself out, cracking in ways it wasn't supposed to. I sighed a little. Mimi hated that noise, the popping noise that reminded her of things crashing, breaking. (A/N: I cannot STAND people cracking their knuckles...my friends do it just to annoy me ^^;) Has it really been 2 months? It doesn't feel like it, but it does. I miss her so much, but everything still resounds her name, Mimi, Mimi, Mimi. 

I knew she wouldn't want me to be this sad, she would've told me that it was no use wasting my life because of something I couldn't change, but I couldn't help it. 

After I had eaten some cereal and taken a shower, I trudged off to school. That's the nice thing about Hyouden High School, we start at 9:30 and I can never sleep that late anyway. 

I slouched through another day at school. Everybody by now had gotten used to me, if they left me alone, nothing would happen. Once the guidance counsuler tried to talk to me, and I had thrown a fake fit about how people were invading my space, and she had bought it. The kids knew I could beat them down if they tried anything, so they ignored me too. I guess you could say I was kind of infamous. Nobody said anything to me all day, so I had plenty time for my mind to think up a lot of horrible things that my dream could've meant; none good. As soon as the last bell rang, I dashed out of school; it was smothering me. 

I unlocked my bike from the rack and slowly pedaled to the bridge. I thought about my dream, nightmare rather, from last night. It couldn't mean anything, it didn't make sense. 

Reaching my destination, I dropped my bike onto the grass, and stared into the water. Zoning out makes my brain totally empty, and it's nice to feel that way sometimes. 

SWOOSH! 

The water from the stream rose. It formed a swirling, twisting, massive tunnel, like a tonardo of blue. Some of it spurted into my eye, momentarily blinded me. 

I was wiping my eyes away when a figure emerged from the mist. I knew that figure. Shit. Not again... 

Did I tell you I hate surprises? They usually turn out bad. 

The digidestined's greatest foe, worst than all the Dark Masters put together, weilding the power to delete anything in a single wave of his hand, resurrected. Walking on water towards me. How ironic. 

"What do you want, Acopalymon?" 

"What makes you think I want anything? After you destroyed me, I was reborn in Primary Village, but since I remembered everything I had done and seen how the Digiworld had healed itself in my abscence, I've changed. I don't want to cause anymore pain. I just want to help you." 

"How could you help me?" I didn't bother keeping the sarcasm out of my voice. 

"I could give you anything you want." 

I turned away. 

"No, you couldn't." 

"Yes, I could." he quietly stated. Gesturing with an arm, he brought up a wall of water. Slowly a picture formed, and I shut my eyes trying to postpone the inevitable I knew was coming. 

I could see Mimi, herding the children back, Mimi, throwing her body on top of them in an attempt to save them. Mimi, getting a bullet in the stomach. Mimi, blood flowing, spreading, staining everything around in crimson. Mimi, finally going still as people suffocated me. I shook my head. 

"You can't bring her back." 

"I can, and will, but I'll need something in return." 

"I'd give you anything you wanted if you brought her back, but nobody can." I growled, still keeping my eyes tightly screwed up. I didn't want the digimon to see me weak. I didn't know what he was up to, but I knew it wasn't anything good. "He can't." I thought. "He can't. HE CAN'T. HECAN'T HECAN'THECAN'THECAN'T" 

I was so engrossed with my mental mantra, it took a while before I heard an odd noise enamating from Apocalymon. It got louder. My concentration gone and unable to control myself, my eyelids flew open. He was laughing. 

I felt myself burning up inside. Here I was, facing extreme mental berating, and this horrific thing was LAUGHING. At ME. 

"WHAT'S SO FUCKING FUNNY?!?" I roared. 

"Well, I guess I'm nobody." he chuckled, bypassing my last question. "Then, 'your wish is my command.'" he twirled around, mimicking a genie. 

And then disappeared, doing a penknife twist straight back into the water, splashing me again. 

I started shaking. Adrenaline withdrawal, I suppose. Damn Acopalymon, screwing with my head. Or is it just me? Am I going crazy? 

No, I decided, feeling my wet clothing plastered to my body. No. I don't know what exactly happened, but it was real. Letting it sink in, I sat there, frozen, transfixed, until the night came, freeing me from my invisible cage so I could pedal home in silence puncuated by the squeaking of my bike. I didn't bother checking to see if my dad came home. I knew he wouldn't be there. I flung myself onto my bed, and waited for the tears to come, but they never did. My heart twisted, jump, ripped, and contorted itself, but a single droplet didn't fall from my sorry eyes. I finally gave up. I was almost asleep when my dad shook my shoulder. I guess he had come home after all. 

"What." 

"Matt." 

I rolled over and opened my eyes to slits. 

"Looks like somebody took the time to make a guest appearance." I grunted at the silhouetted figure. 

"Actually, I was hoping to score a leading role, _ookami-chan_." (A/N: it's wolf with a chan tacked on ^^;) 

Only one person called me that. 

"MIMI!!!!!" I exploded out of bed, swept her up, and kissed her, on her eyelids, her ears, her neck, her cheeks, her mouth, her nose. She was really here! I could feel her soft warm skin, smell her vanilla-like scent, run my fingers through her hair. I spun her around and around, laughing like a crazy man, and she laughed with me, the tears streaming down my face mixing with hers while her hands played with my hair. 

"YOU'RE HERE! BUT HOW?!?!" I gasped, after I finally set her down. 

"Well, now that you've shut up," she grinned, "It's kind of strange, actually." Mimi's voice slid into a more serious tone. "After I was shot, I well, died instantly. I mean, one second, I'm trying to save the kids, and the next I'm floating above myself. But instead of going to heaven, or hell, I went to like a limbo. Somebody there told me that something had happened that wasn't supposed to, but they couldn't do anything about it. So I was stuck there, for what seemed like ETERNITY! Like half an hour ago, I just got transported here, I have NO idea how, but I am so happy to see you!" 

She threw herself into my arms. "You have no idea how much I missed you!" 

"Don't I?" I smiled down at her. "Just promise you won't leave me again." 

"I promise." she looked up at me, and snuggled in closer. 

I stroked her hair as she fell asleep. She was probably really exhausted. I quietly tucked her into bed, and sat on the chair next to her. I didn't know what Apocalymon did to make this happen, but, as I gazed at Mimi's peaceful slumbering, I knew that it was worth it. 

No, this is nowhere near the end! It'd be pretty crappy, if it was, huh? Well, please R&R! I really appreciate every single review I get, they always brighten my day! 


	3. Eden's Confinement

**As Sure as Night Follows Day : Eden's Confinement** by wallflower, formerly mimikins 

A/N: I'm feeling kind of blue as I write this author note, because I really really liked this series! And everybody gasp because it's the first story I've ever finished without having it be a piece of crap! Well, that's kind of debateable, but yknow ^^; If you didn't like it why would you still be reading this on chapter 3? The song of this fic is "I Will Buy You a New Life" by Everclear. 

Somewhere along the line Mimi's grandmother disappeared. You can make her move away, die, vanish, I don't care, lol. Just she's not here. o.O 

Constructive critisism is really my friend. I love it, seriously ^^ Right Emily? ^^ PLEASE REVIEW! I'm also contactable at jump4@joymail.com, sunshine ba ba (AIM), 71018292 (ICQ), and joy_fishy@hotmail.com for MSN! 

Although tabloids may inform you otherwise, I don't own digimon. 

-------- 

The gentle voice that talks to you   
Won't talk forever   
It's a night for passion   
But the morning means goodbye   
-Ace of Base "All That She Wants" 

-------- 

The next days flew by in a blur. I skipped school, and Mimi and I would go out for walks, to the park, the mall, anywhere. As long as we could be together. Nobody I knew knew her, because she had lived on the other side of the city. So I was with her every minute; I still couldn't believe she was real, and I thought she was going to disappear any second, along with all the light that had been brought back to my life. 

One day we were walking by the pond in Kyoto's park, when Mimi let go of my hand, and darted away. I froze, but then relaxed as I saw her run up to a swingset. She kicked off her sandals, and pushed off with her bare feet, leaving little prints in the sand. I grinned, sauntered over, and began to push her. She giggled as the swing pumped closer and closer to the sky, the wind rushing through her hair and making it billow out. Underneath, I stood, watching her, wishing this moment would never end. 

Suddenly, one hand slipped, and Mimi slipped, twisting and falling off the seat. I leapt to catch her, but kept going, so she landed on top of me in the sand while I scuffed to a stop. Her hair was touseled from the wind, the sun's rays shining down from behind her, I finally realized she was really back. So right there underneath the swings, I swept her into a passionate kiss, tasting the realness of her. She returned it gladly and we stayed there a while, oblivious to the gawking passerbyers. 

Later, we went to the shorefront, and walked barefoot in the sand. You could see the two pairs of prints tracing a path. A few waves ventured up higher, and swept them away, leaving the sand without an imprint. 

Since it was April, it was a little chilly and the beach was deserted. She sat in my lap on a pier and we watched a lone seagull fly off towards the horizon, and then disappear into the crimson sunset in silence, knowing that just being was feeling. 

I nudged her head with mine. "Mimi?" 

"...Hmm?..." she looked up at me. 

"I love you." 

"I already knew that, but I love you too, Matt." she murmured, snuggling closer to me. 

By now the sun had left, and darkness was setting in. I picked her up and carried her a while until she demanded to be put down so she could check out an outfit in the window display of a shop. Some things just never change, and I'm glad. 

We sauntered through the dark. 

"Matt...have you heard from TK lately?" 

"Nope." I turned my head slightly away. She placed a finger underneath my chin and turned me back to face her. 

"I'm sorry." 

"It's okay. As long as I have you." 

"No, it's not. Why don't you call him?" 

"If he isn't, I'm not going to either." 

"Men." she mumbled under her breath. "What if he's waiting for you to call, like you're waiting for him?" 

"Then that's just too darn bad." 

"Aw...come on _ookami-chan_..." 

"Fine, fine, I'll call him tomorrow." I conceded. 

We had reached my doorway. 

"You call him now." she added pleading puppy eyes, and I rolled my own. She knew she was going to win, just like she always did. 

"Fine..." 

I picked the portable phone up from it's cradle, dialed the number, rehearsing my speech. As the phone rang on the other hand, I prayed he would be there, and I dreaded that he would. What do you say to your brother you haven't heard from in months? "Hey bro, I know I haven't talked to you at all and you didn't send me a birthday card, but anyway, what's up?" 

"Hello, Takashi residence. We're not in right now, but if you would like a message, please wait for the beep." 

I dropped the phone back. Mimi cocked her head at me. 

"Not home." 

"Oh..." it was an "oh" of sympathy, not pity. She hadn't been able to contact her grandmother either. She leaned her head on my shoulder and closed her eyes. 

I didn't want her to be unhappy. Me either, for that matter. 

I kissed her eyelids. "Night, Mimi." I murmured before falling drifting into sleep myself. 

The next morning I cracked my eyes open; judging by where the sun was in the sky, it was mid-morning. I turned my head to find that Mimi wasn't there. I stood up, shaking my head a little as it spun. I felt two hands clap over eyes. 

"Guess whoooo?" 

I smiled. "The most beautiful girl in the world." 

I covered her hands with my own, marveling that they were so slender and delicate when they belonged to the strongest person I knew. 

Mimi kissed the nape of my neck. "Want to go to the bridge?" 

I had almost forgotten about the bridge, waiting silently. Apocalymon's memory still shrouded the place in unease for me. I didn't trust him. But this is the first time I'll be back with Mimi. 

"If you want to, I do." 

I could tell she was smiling. "Okay, then." 

I rode my dad's bike while she rode mine. The whirring and clicking of the wheels and chains were the only noises we heard riding into the woods. The sun shone through the trees, making speckled patterns on the grass. We got off, and sat on the bridge. 

"Mi, do you remember when we first came here?" I needed to reassure myself that everything was okay, nothing was going to happen. 

"Of course, how could I forget?" 

I rolled up my pant legs, and waded into the water, feeling it lap against the side of my legs. 

"Come on!" 

"Nooo way! It's like 10 degrees in there!" 

"Well, fine. At least help me up!" 

Mimi leaned a bit and extended her hand to help me up. I grabbed it, and grinned. I could see realization dawning in her eyes, but it was too late, I yanked her in with a humungous splash. She blinked a few times, and then swept a wave of water at me, dousing whatever parts of me weren't already wet. I splashed her back, and soon we were have an all-out waterfight. 

Finally, we both tired, and hauled ourselves onto the bridge, letting the sun dry us while we lay there. 

"That one is definitely a bird." I commented. 

"Biyomon!" Mimi chirped. 

I chuckled, and pointed at another cloud. "So what's that, Gabumon?" 

"Weregarurumon, actually!" Mimi giggled 

I searched the sky. 

"How about that one?" I gestured with a sweep of one arm. 

"Hm...what was that cute little digimon again?" 

"The Numemon?" 

She removed an arm from behind her head and smacked my forehead. 

"Don't remind me of those crap-throwing stalkers again! OH! It was the Gekomon! It looks like a Gekomon! See, the french horn-y thing, the toungue..." (A/N: RP!) 

"Horny thing?" I couldn't keep a straight face. 

"Oh, shut up!" 

"Make me!" 

"Okay." she rolled over to face me and drew me into a kiss. 

-------- 

There was a full moon in the pitch black sky when I was jolted awake by a bird flying outside the window, casting a fleeting shadow on my face. Next to me, Mimi stirred and shifted back into sleep. I closed my eyes ready to sleep again, when the bird swooped across again. Kind of strange, because in Kyoto's busy streets, there aren't any birds except in the park, or secluded clumps of forest. 

I got up to close the shades. The stupid tassels weren't triggering the curtains. While I fumbled with the strings, I saw a shadow flit and perch on a tree. Probably that idiotic bird. 

Suddenly, it swooped straight at me. I thought it was going to crash into the window, but it hovered outside. I could see it was in the shape of a bird that looked like a dove, but was as black as the night outside. I leaned in to peer at it, but hurled myself back as it suddenly exploded, twisting and distorting itself, feathers flying everywhere, revealing a shadowly silhouette framed in the moonlight. 

"Apocalymon." I hissed, while my heart twisted inside my chest. 

He gestured that I was to open the window. 

I glanced over my shoulder at Mimi, still asleep. 

"No. Later." I mouthed through the glass. Whatever he had to say could wait. 

Apocalymon's lips curled into a sneer. "No. NOW." he mimed. 

I shook my head firmly. 

He shrugged, and then flew away blending into the night sky. 

I rubbed my temples as I leaned against the wall, and slowly slid down into a sitting position. I hadn't really expected him to listen to me. Why was he giving up so easily? 

SMASH! The sound of shattering class erupted into the room. For a fraction of a second, the shards of glass hung in the air, like dancers in a icy ballet, before falling to the ground. 

Mimi shot up, and turned to face us. Her eyes bugged out seeing Apocalymon standing in the glass. 

"You." she glared at him. 

"Matt?" she turned to me with question marks in her eyes. 

Apocalymon shifted his gaze from Mimi to me. 

"You made me a promise, Friendship." 

"What promise?!" Mimi demanded. 

"He said he would give me anything." stated Apocalymon, his bloodshot eyes still fixated on me. "Now he has to keep his end of the bargain." 

"HE DOESN'T OWE YOU ANYTHING!" she screamed. Her eyes, still on me, asked "Right?" 

I didn't move, and I saw the light behind Mimi's eyes churn before holding strong again. 

Apocalymon raised at eyebrow at me. I wanted to rip it off. After I got Mimi back, after everything was going alright, everything was fine, everything was perfect, how dare he come and destroy everything? And what the hell did he mean I said I would give him anything? 

"And I quote, 'I'd give you anything if you could bring her back, but you can't.'" 

Oh. I remember. 

Mimi was still staring at me with shimmering eyes. I slowly nodded, and she seemed to shrink a little. 

"I thought you were good now." I addressed Apocalymon. 

"I am." 

"What do you want?" I was amazed at how cold I sounded. Judging from the look on Mimi's face, so was she. 

He remained unfazed. "You." 

Right there my act fell away. I knew that he was going to win. I knew that if he wanted to take me now, he would, and there wasn't crap I could do about it. Apocalymon wanted something, he got it, except for that time in the Digiworld. But that's when I was young, innocent, and we had a team. Now there's nothing but Mimi's tears, forming a silver puddle on the floor. 

"I'm not going to come back, am I?" 

"Not the way you consider coming back." 

I closed my eyes for a few seconds. When I opened them, I could hear my voice shaking and my hands trembling. 

"Take me instead!" Mimi pitifully pleaded. "If you're gone, I have nothing left to live for, you have TK, your parents, your life, Matt! You can't leave them all!" 

Apocalymon considered. "It's your choice, Friendship. All I need is one of you to willingly come with me." 

Mimi knew what I was going to say, and clung to me, like holding onto me would prevent the inevitable. 

"Take me." 

It wan't a physical pain I felt, as I was slowly ripped away. As I slowly disappeared, got configured into data, I felt a frantic calm, I couldn't do anything about it, and I knew it was coming. I didn't know what Apocalymon was going to do. I didn't care. The image of Mimi's tearstained face, the feel of her hold while I held her, and the sad, searing sweetness of our last kiss was what I cared about. And then everything disappeared. 

----- 

Okay, I know I could've done better. A LOT better. But if I think about something for too long, I kill it in my brain, so I wanted to finish it before I abandoned it! I don't think this is going to make anybody cry, but I teared a little bit writing the end. But then again, I'm imagining I'm Matt, for purposes of this story. Besides, I'm a hopeless sap ^^; 

----- 

They say   
Taking a stroll down memory lane   
What a waste of time   
They don't know what love is   
  
As sure as the moon follows the sun   
tracing a cosmic trail across the sky   
I'll follow you until eternity's done   
Like dark follows light   
Like night follows day. 

----- 

Please, review! It makes me a lot happier, seriously, and everybody's been so good about it for the first two chapters! 


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